Portable multi-purpose desk



March 7, 1961 F. DE VINCENZO 2,973,603

PORTABLE MULTI-PURPOSE DESK Filed June 29, 1959 I 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 A TTOZNEY March 7, 1961 F. DE VINCENZO 2,973,603

PORTABLE MULTI-PURPOSE DESK Filed June 29, 1959 2 Sheets-Shet 2 INVENTOR. FRANK DI YINC ENZO United States Patent 2,973,603 PORTABLE MULTI-PURPOSE DESK Frank De Vincenzo, Farmingdale, N.Y. (6751 NW. 20th St., West Hollywood, Fla.)

Filed June 29, 1959, Ser. No. 823,481

4 Claims. (Cl. 45-80) This invention relates to desks and, more particularly, to a multi-purpose portable desk that may be used for various tasks.

It is an object of the present invention to provide an adjustable multi-purpose portable desk that can be conveniently used as a completely self-supported unit, can be placed upon the top of a table, or can be used as a drawing board, without permanently affecting the working parts thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide a portable desk of the type described in which an auxiliary plate may be selectively angularly adjusted relative to the supporting surface, thus positioning thereading or drawing materials carried thereby in a desired position for use.

Still an additional object of the present invention is to provide a portable multi-purpose desk which can also be used as a serving tray for feeding persons lying or sitting in bed.

All of the foregoing and still further objects and advantages of this invention will become apparent from a study of the following specification, taken in connection with the accompanying drawing, wherein:

Figure l is a perspective view of a desk made in accordance with the present invention in one position of use;

Figure 2 is a rear view of the desk shown in Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the parts in an adjusted position for a different use;

Figure 4 is a view similar to Figure 1, showing the desk in use as a serving tray upon a bed;

Figure 5 is a side view of the assembly shown in Figure 4;

Figure 6 is an enlarged fragmentary plan view of certain parts of the assembly;

Figure 7 is an enlarged fragmentary transverse cross sectional view taken along line 7-7 of Figure 5;

Figure 8 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 8-8 of Figure 7;

Figure 9 is a transverse cross sectional view taken along line 9-9 of Figure 7;

Figure 10 is a perspective view of a leg forming a part of the present invention;

Figure ll is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 11-11 of Figure 1;

Figure 12 is an enlarged fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 1212 of Figure l; and

Figure 13 is a fragmentary cross sectional view taken along line 13-13 of Figure 6.

Referring now more in detail to the drawing, a desk 15 made in accordance with the present invention is shown to include a rectangular base plate 16 having a plurality of circular openings 18, one at each corner.

An auxiliary plate 24 having a piano hinge 26 is secured to a mid portion of one side of the base plate 16 for selective angular adjustment relative thereto. This auxiliary plate 24 is provided with a pair of enlarged openings 28 adjacent to the free edge thereof for slidably receiving the pair of, legs 22, as is shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5, when the desk is used as a bed tray.

A stop plate 30 is provided with a piano hinge 32 that is secured to one side of the auxiliary plate 24, adjacent to the center thereof for selective movement about an axis parallel to the axis of the piano hinge 26. This stop plate 30 is also provided with a pair of enlarged openings 34 for slidably receiving the legs 32 therethrough, as is shown in Figures 4 and S. A book rest '36 having a plurality of longitudinally spaced apart mounting pegs 38 which are receivable within provided openings 40 in the auxiliary plate 24 adjacent to the hinge 26, enables the device to be used as a reading desk, as is shown in Figure l. A plurality of. laterally spaced apart stop bars 42 are secured in parallel relationship upon the one side of the base plate 16 for selective engagement by the free edge of the stop plate 30, thus adjusting the angular position of the auxiliary plate 24 relative to the base plate 16.

One edge of the base plate 16 is also provided with a drawing bar rest 44, secured thereto by means of wood screws 46, and a foot rest 48 secured to the base plate 16 by screws 50. By inverting the desk, as shown in Figure l, and removing the legs 22, it may be arranged in the manner shown in Figure 3, for use as a drawing board, whereby the plate 30 may be used to adjust the angular position thereof.

By releasing the stop plate 30 from engagement with the stop bars 32, with the parts in the position shown in Figure 3, the legs 22 may be applied to the base plate 16 by extending two of them through the aligned openings 28, 34 in the auxiliary plate 24 and stop plate 30, to use the device as a bed tray, as shown in Figure 4 and Figure 5.

The versatility of this device will now be apparent to I all those skilled in the art, all adjustments being readily made without the need for special tools or equipment, and selectively changeable from one position to the other in a very short amount of time and with a minimum amount of effort.

While this invention has been described with particular reference to the construction shown in the drawing, it is to be understood that such is not to be construed as imparting limitations upon the invention, which is best defined by the claims appended hereto.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

1. A portable multi-purpose desk comprising, in combination, a substantially rigid base plate, a substantially rigid auxiliary plate, hinge means pivotally supporting one end of said auxiliary plate upon one side of said base plate, a stop plate, hinge means pivotally supporting one end of said stop plate upon one side of said auxiliary plate, stop means carried by said one side of said base plate engageable with the opposite end of said stop plate to releasably secure said auxiliary plate in an angular'ly adjusted position relative to said base plate, a plurality of legs detachably carried by said base plate,

said hinge means pivotally supporting one end of said' auxiliary plate intermediate the opposite lateral sides thereof.

2. A desk as set forth in claim 1, wherein said stop 3. A desk as set forth in claim 2, further comprising 5 a book rest support detachably carried upon the opposite side of said auxiliary plate from said one side thereof.

4. A desk as set forth in claim 3, wherein each one of said legs includes a mounting stud, and each corner of said base plate includes an aperture frictionally receiv- 10 ing each one of said mounting studs therewithin.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS Plamondon et al. Sept. 5, 1916 Russell et al. Mar. 30, 1920 Everts Aug. 27, 1929 Westmore et a1. June 24, 1930 Henderson Oct. 22, 1940 Weinstein Dec. 10, 1940 Kozloff Feb. 17, 1942 Lang July 4, 1950 

